Health Tip: Get Rid of Allergens

(HealthDay News) -- Allergy symptoms can be caused by many things, commonly pet dander, dust, mold, grasses and trees, and certain foods.

To keep symptoms from airborne allergens at bay, try these suggestions from the American Academy of Family Physicians:

• Reduce exposure to pollen by showering, washing your hair, and changing your clothes before going to bed.


• Keep doors and windows shut -- especially on dry, windy days -- and run the air conditioner in your home and car when possible.


• Clean areas prone to mold in your home -- such as shower curtains and bathroom windows -- with bleach. Avoid having plants in the house.


• Keep pet dander at a minimum by bathing your pet frequently, and using an air filter and allergen-resistant bedding.


• Reduce dust by frequently washing bedding, drapes and stuffed animals. Install wood floors instead of carpeting.

The Cat Must Go: How Allergies Have Shaken Up Our Household

By Sean Kelley

Sometime in March, an orange tabby adopted our family. We are not cat lovers. In fact, both my wife and I are allergic to cats; my eyes swell shut with constant contact, and my wife wheezes and breaks out in hives. (Hmm, perhaps we see where our son Graeme gets his allergic tendencies?)

Plus, we just don’t care for cats. Not so for my 4-year-old daughter Elise, who upon seeing Noah (as the cat came to be known), fell deeply in love. She lavished attention on him, and he didn’t scratch her when she dragged him around in a choke hold. We decided to let him stay—as an outdoor cat. Read More

Day-Care Dilemma: Keeping Our Allergic Son Safe

By Sean Kelley

For a toddler, my son is gaining an unusual amount of notoriety. There’s already a sort of “Wanted” poster of him at the local YMCA, where he drops by a few times a week. And it’s not because he’s prone to biting when hungry or tired. The nursery signs (there are three of them): “Only give Graeme Kelley the snack or food or drinks from his bag. He has allergic [sic] reactions to certain foods. Thank you.”
Graeme’s Y visits constitute the only time his child-care needs are out of our control. The rest of the time he is with one of his grandmothers or my wife and me.
Like many parents, we were obsessive in our selection of caregivers for Graeme’s older sister. And when we found out Graeme had severe allergies—both food and environmental—our obsession turned to paranoia. First, we drilled his grandmothers with a short list of don’ts: Don’t give him anything with peanuts, corn, soy, wheat, eggs, or chicken. Don’t let him near any cats. Read More

Meltdown on Aisle 6: Finding Processed Food for Our Allergic Son

By Sean Kelley

On my first trip to the grocery store after my son, Graeme, was diagnosed with food allergies, I did something I’ve never done in a food store before: I cried.

I’m usually happiest around food, but it was a moment of rare negative emotion, and my breakdown happened in front of God, my 4-year-old daughter, Elise, and the boy who was stocking aisle six.

I had been reading my way through the store, checking every item before tossing it in the basket for foods that are now verboten in my house: peanuts, corn, wheat, soy, egg whites, and chicken. I knew I had to avoid those, but it was finding the derivatives of them in almost every product that was sending me into a state of panic and sadness. Read More

'Tis the Season For Allergy, Asthma

(HealthDay News) -- It's easy for the holidays to become the season of sneezing, congestion and other woes for people with food or other allergies and asthma, say experts at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

But some preventive measures can cut symptoms to a minimum, they say.

"Whether it's feasting on holiday meals, setting up your Christmas tree, or visiting your pet-owning relatives, allergy triggers may be lurking inside of our warm, cozy homes this time of year," Alisa M. Smith, vice-chairwoman of the AAAAI's indoor allergen committee, said in a prepared statement. "Unfortunately, with busy schedules, travel time and the stress of the holidays, it is easy to forget to take the proper care when dealing with allergies and asthma.

However, avoiding potential triggers and taking the proper precautions is necessary to keep symptoms under control."

The AAAAI offers the following tips for people with asthma and different types of allergies:
When you're at parties or family gatherings, inform your hosts about your food allergy and ask about the ingredients used to prepare the meal.

Always carry an injectable dose of epinephrine. Homemade meals/snacks don't have ingredient lists and may be contaminated with trace of amounts of allergenic foods through contact with storage containers or kitchen utensils.

Remind family and friends that strict avoidance is the only way for you to manage food allergies and that even a tiny bit of allergenic foods can trigger a dangerous allergic reaction.
If you're visiting homes where there are pets, take your allergy medication beforehand.

Real Christmas trees often carry microscopic mold spores that can cause allergic symptoms such as sneezing, water eyes, and an itchy nose.

Decorations and artificial trees can gather mold and dust while in storage. Clean them before you start putting them up.

Artificial snow can irritate your lungs if you inhale it. Be sure to follow directions when spraying artificial snow on windows or other surfaces.

The stress of the holiday season can sometimes trigger an asthma attack. Monitor your stress levels. If you do feel stressed, deep breathing and relaxation may help.

If you're sleeping away from home, bring your own pillow with an allergen-proof cover. Ask for down-free pillows.

Avoid wood smoke, which can trigger an asthma attack.

More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about controlling allergy symptoms.

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Poor Sleep Contributes to Health Problems

(HealthDay News) -- New studies are discovering just how vital sleep is to overall health.

So, sleep habits should become a standard part of a complete check-up, researchers say.

"There is increasing evidence that there is a very strong relationship between sleep quality and physical and mental health," said Dr. Phyllis C. Zee, a professor of neurology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.

"If you have poor health, that is associated with poor sleep. Also, if you have poor sleep, there is an association between that and poor health," Zee said. "What we don't have yet is the research to categorically say that if you improve sleep, you will improve conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, or other medical conditions."

Still, physicians should be asking their patients about the quality and quantity of their sleep, Zee said. "Sleep should be another vital sign," she said.

Zee wrote an editorial in the Sept. 18 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, a special, themed issue on sleep and its relationship to overall health.

In one study, led by Richard L. Nahin, a senior advisor for scientific coordination and outreach at the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, looked at why people had trouble sleeping and how many were using alternative drugs to help them sleep.

Insomnia and trouble sleeping are most often associated with high blood pressure, heart failure, anxiety and depression, according to a national survey of 31,044 adults. "That's unusual. It had been most often thought that insomnia was quite prevalent on its own, but only 4 percent of the people who said they had insomnia said they had it without any of those conditions," Nahin said.

The researchers also found that 1.6 million Americans are using alternative therapies, such as melatonin to treat their insomnia. "That's quite high when you consider that there is very little reliable data on the efficacy and safety of using the products people are using," Nahin said.

These findings have implications for treating sleep problems, Nahin said.

"Instead of treating the insomnia itself, a health-care provider might be better off treating one of these comorbidities," he said. "In addition, a physician seeing a patient for insomnia should ask if the patient is using any alternative and complementary treatments, because they might upset the treatments the health-care provider wants to apply."

Another study found that people who have sleep-related breathing disorder -- marked by frequent pauses in breathing, labored breathing, or reduced breathing during the night -- were two to 2.6 times more likely to develop depression. Moreover, the odds of depression increased as breathing disorders became more severe, according to researcher Paul E. Peppard and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin.

And a study by French researchers found that people with allergic rhinitis, caused by hay fever and other allergies, have more difficulty sleeping and more sleep disorders than people without allergies. "The results show a significant impact of allergic rhinitis on all dimensions of sleep quality and, consequently, a lower quality of life as reflected by more somnolence [sleepiness]; daytime fatigue and sleepiness; and impaired memory, mood and sexuality, with a significantly increased consumption of alcohol and sedatives in cases compared with the control group," the study authors wrote.

One expert agrees that sleep problems shouldn't be ignored.

"If you think insomnia is an annoyance and merely something you should tough out, that may be a mistake," said Michael L. Perlis, director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at the University of Rochester, in New York. "It may lead you down the path to other morbidities. It would also be a mistake because it's treatable."

Other studies in the same journal issue found that:
· Fewer hours of sleep may contribute to poor health in young adults.
· Those in rural areas who sleep fewer hours appear to weigh more.
· The immune system may play a role in narcolepsy, a disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to sleep.
· The immune system may be affected by a lack of sleep that contributes to inflammation and a variety of diseases.

More information
The National Sleep Foundation can tell you more about getting a good night's sleep.

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Worried about White Spots on Fingernails?

Worried about White Spots on Fingernails?
Provided by: DrWeil.com

Q: I sometimes get white spots on my fingernails. I've been told that they're a sign of a calcium deficiency, but I get plenty of calcium from my diet, and I do take a supplement every day. What causes the spots? -- Margot H. A: The spots you notice are not caused by a calcium deficiency. They're called "leukonychia" and are very common. Most of the time the white spots simply are a sign of some past injury to the matrix (base) of your nails. By the time the white spot shows up (about six weeks after the injury) you've probably forgotten all about banging or knocking your fingers. Sometimes, the injury can stem from a manicure that put excessive pressure on the base of the nails. The spots also can be a sign of an allergic reaction to nail polish or nail hardeners and, sometimes, are a symptom of a mild infection.
Whatever the cause, the spots are temporary and will grow out as your nails grow. However, it can take more than eight months for nails to grow out completely so the spots may be around for a while.
Sometimes, a change in the appearance of your nails does indicate an underlying disease, but these changes would be more dramatic than just the occasional white spot. Nails that turn completely white, for example, can indicate liver disease, but by the time this happens, you probably would have other symptoms.
Incidentally, in addition to the myth that white spots on the nails are a sign of calcium deficiency, you may also have heard that they indicate a zinc deficiency. That isn't true either. Neither is the well known but bizarre notion that the spots are due to eating too much Hellmann's mayonnaise (I'm not making this up).
Andrew Weil, MD

Nutrition for Kids with Allergies or Asthma?

Nutrition for Kids with Allergies or Asthma?
Provided by: DrWeil.com

Q: I recently learned about a nutritional supplement called OPC-3 which is supposed to have benefits for people with allergies and asthma. What are your thoughts about adding this to my two-year old child's diet? -- Raye

A: OPC stands for oligomeric proanthocyanidins, a group of powerful antioxidant compounds. They are commonly found in grape seed extract, which in lab and animal studies has been shown to make blood vessels more elastic and less likely to leak fluids, thus decreasing the leg swelling often associated with varicose veins. OPC-3, a product containing these compounds, is being widely promoted on the Internet as a treatment for diseases associated with free radical damage. However, I have seen no studies suggesting that OPC is an effective treatment for allergies or asthma.

(Grape seed extract is commonly prescribed in France for varicose veins and other vascular problems. I generally recommend it along with horse-chestnut seed extract [HCSE], a more extensively studied treatment for these conditions.)

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by repeated episodes of airway obstruction and associated with an exaggerated airway response to a variety of inhaled stimuli. Although the cause is unknown, such factors as allergies, increased stress, respiratory infections, and exercise can worsen asthma. It can also occur without any obvious triggers.

Allergies are due to "misplaced immunity" against something that really is not a threat to health. Allergic responses are also learned responses that can be unlearned. The goal of treatment should be to convince the immune system that it can coexist peacefully with the substances it is reacting to. In young children, it is important to try to limit exposure to potential irritants of the immune system.

Instead of trying products like OPC-3, my principal recommendation for patients with asthma and allergies (or both) would be to follow an anti-inflammatory diet. Increase organic fruits and vegetables, and stay hydrated with lots of water. Avoid processed foods, partially hydrogenated oils, white sugar, and flour. I also recommend using standard medical treatment selectively and trying to avoid suppressive medications (such as oral steroids) as much as possible. Use mind-body medicine such as guided imagery or clinical hypnosis and experiment with homeopathy as well since children respond favorably to this form of treatment.

Andrew Weil, MD
Last Reviewed: May 2005

Eczema on Hands or Feet?

Eczema on Hands or Feet?
Provided by: DrWeil.com

Q: I have a mild form of skin disease called pompholyx or dishidrotic eczema. I read something about a study in Japan that suggested large doses of niacin would be beneficial for people with this incurable skin condition. Do you have any further information? -- Phyllis A: Pompholyx or dishidrotic eczema is a skin disease characterized by small fluid filled blisters (vesicles) that develop on the fingers, palms and on the soles of the feet and cause intense itching. This disorder can be chronic, flaring up periodically. Fortunately, these episodes become less frequent after middle age.
No one knows what causes pompholyx, although we do know that it develops most often among those between the ages of 20 and 40. Risk factors include stress and allergic contact dermatitis. Some patients are sensitive to metal salts found in certain foods. If so, flare-ups of pompholyx may occur after eating foods containing nickel, cobalt or chromium salts. You can try avoiding the foods in question to see if it helps, although this strategy rarely works. To avoid nickel salts, eliminate canned foods, foods cooked in nickel-plated utensils (including stainless steel, which contains nickel), herring, oysters, asparagus, beans, mushrooms, onions, corn, spinach, tomatoes, peas, whole grain flour, pears, rhubarb, tea, cocoa, chocolate, and baking powder. To avoid cobalt, cut out apricots, beans, beer, beets, cabbage, cloves, cocoa, chocolate, coffee, liver, nuts, scallops, tea, and whole grain flour.
About 30 percent of all cases seem to be related to a contact allergy - often to the nickel present in jewelry.
Conventional medicine treats pompholyx with steroid creams or ointments and with antihistamines to relieve the itching. I've found no study showing that niacin is useful in treatment. But stress reduction techniques can help, and biofeedback is often recommended as part of conventional treatment. I strongly suggest trying visualization or hypnotherapy to take advantage of the mind/body connection in skin disorders.
I also recommend taking gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) for eczema. GLA, an unusual fatty acid found in evening primrose oil, black currant oil and borage, has specific nourishing effects on skin, hair and nails. Take 500 mg of GLA twice a day. I also suggest eliminating milk and milk products and using aloe vera gel, calendula lotion or cream, and tring chaparral lotion, salves or a homemade poultice made from steeping leaves of chaparral (Larrea divaricata) in water and placing a cloth soaked in the liquid on irritated skin for 15-20 minutes four times daily.
Andrew Weil, MD
Last Reviewed: August 2005

Vitamin Supplement Could Help Treatment-resistant Asthma

Science Daily Dec 9 2005 11:31PM GMT


Asthma is usually treated very effectively with inhaled steroids but for some patients, taking steroid tablets is the only way of controlling their condition, and this can cause considerable side effects. Unfortunately a sub-group of people with severe asthma fail to show clinical improvement, even with high doses of oral steroids, limiting their treatment options.

Professor Tak Lee, Director of the MRC-Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma at King's College London and Imperial College, who was involved in the latest study, explained its importance: 'This research is really exciting and points the direction towards potential new strategies for reversing steroid resistance. This has major implications for how to treat patients with severe asthma and could also substantially reduce the use of NHS resources.'

The team's results imply that steroid treatment works, at least in part, by inducing the T-cells of the immune system to synthesise a secreted signalling molecule, called IL-10. This molecule can inhibit the immune responses that cause the symptoms of allergic and asthmatic disease.
Unlike T-cells from healthy individuals, or patients that respond to steroids, T-cells taken from patients who are steroid resistant do not produce IL-10 when cultured in vitro with the steroid, dexamethasone.

However, the researchers found that when vitamin D3 was added to the culture medium along with dexamethasone, this defect was reversed and the previously steroid-resistant cells were able to respond to the treatment by producing IL-10 to the same extent as T-cells taken from steroid-responsive patients.

Adding vitamin D3 to cultures of T-cells from healthy individuals or from steroid-responsive patients made these cells even more responsive to steroids than before.

Dr Catherine Hawrylowicz, who led the King's research team said: 'The hope is that this work will lead to new ways to treat people who don't respond to steroid treatment as it currently stands, and it could also help those people who are on heavy doses of steroids to reduce the amount of medication they are taking.'

To test whether this therapy could work in practice the team at King's went on to perform a pilot experiment where people with asthma who were unresponsive to steroids took daily vitamin D3 supplements for seven days. The researchers took blood samples to assess whether the patients' T-cells were more responsive to dexamethasone after they had taken the supplement. The test results were positive.

Dr Hawrylowicz said: 'This is a great example of how productive basic science collaborations can translate into studies in patients. Our research began more than five years ago with Dr Anne O'Garra from the MRC National Institute for Medical Research at Mill Hill.'

She added: 'At the moment we only have a preliminary experimental observation, that ingestion of vitamin D3 can increase the responsiveness of T-cells from patients with steroid-resistant asthma to steroids. We now need to test the benefits of this treatment in the clinic, and we are currently putting a proposal together to carry out this work.

'Interestingly, vitamin D3 is at present occasionally administered to patients with severe asthma to help prevent steroid-induced osteoporosis. Our studies suggest that there is an additional potential benefit to this treatment.'

Dr. Lyn Smurthwaite, Research Development Manager at Asthma UK said: '2.6 million people in the UK have severe asthma symptoms, many of whom have restricted treatment options available to them as they do not respond to conventional steroid therapy. Asthma UK is very pleased to have funded this research which opens up a potentially important new avenue for developing treatments for people with difficult to control asthma.'

Asthma is usually treated very effectively with inhaled steroids but for some patients, taking steroid tablets is the only way of controlling their condition, and this can cause considerable side effects. Unfortunately a sub-group of people with severe asthma fail to show clinical improvement, even with high doses of oral steroids, limiting their treatment options.

Professor Tak Lee, Director of the MRC-Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma at King's College London and Imperial College, who was involved in the latest study, explained its importance: 'This research is really exciting and points the direction towards potential new strategies for reversing steroid resistance. This has major implications for how to treat patients with severe asthma and could also substantially reduce the use of NHS resources.'

The team's results imply that steroid treatment works, at least in part, by inducing the T-cells of the immune system to synthesise a secreted signalling molecule, called IL-10. This molecule can inhibit the immune responses that cause the symptoms of allergic and asthmatic disease.
Unlike T-cells from healthy individuals, or patients that respond to steroids, T-cells taken from patients who are steroid resistant do not produce IL-10 when cultured in vitro with the steroid, dexamethasone.

However, the researchers found that when vitamin D3 was added to the culture medium along with dexamethasone, this defect was reversed and the previously steroid-resistant cells were able to respond to the treatment by producing IL-10 to the same extent as T-cells taken from steroid-responsive patients.

Adding vitamin D3 to cultures of T-cells from healthy individuals or from steroid-responsive patients made these cells even more responsive to steroids than before.

Dr Catherine Hawrylowicz, who led the King's research team said: 'The hope is that this work will lead to new ways to treat people who don't respond to steroid treatment as it currently stands, and it could also help those people who are on heavy doses of steroids to reduce the amount of medication they are taking.'

To test whether this therapy could work in practice the team at King's went on to perform a pilot experiment where people with asthma who were unresponsive to steroids took daily vitamin D3 supplements for seven days. The researchers took blood samples to assess whether the patients' T-cells were more responsive to dexamethasone after they had taken the supplement. The test results were positive.

Dr Hawrylowicz said: 'This is a great example of how productive basic science collaborations can translate into studies in patients. Our research began more than five years ago with Dr Anne O'Garra from the MRC National Institute for Medical Research at Mill Hill.'

She added: 'At the moment we only have a preliminary experimental observation, that ingestion of vitamin D3 can increase the responsiveness of T-cells from patients with steroid-resistant asthma to steroids. We now need to test the benefits of this treatment in the clinic, and we are currently putting a proposal together to carry out this work.

'Interestingly, vitamin D3 is at present occasionally administered to patients with severe asthma to help prevent steroid-induced osteoporosis. Our studies suggest that there is an additional potential benefit to this treatment.'

Dr. Lyn Smurthwaite, Research Development Manager at Asthma UK said: '2.6 million people in the UK have severe asthma symptoms, many of whom have restricted treatment options available to them as they do not respond to conventional steroid therapy. Asthma UK is very pleased to have funded this research which opens up a potentially important new avenue for developing treatments for people with difficult to control asthma.'

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